>>Another option for typing in Japanese (that is if you have it on your iPhone) is using the typical entry system used by Japanese people on their cell phones.

If you haven’t seen it before, each number has a consonant pronunciation associated to it and you tap it the number of times to get to the proper vowel sound you are looking for.<<

If you have an iPhone then don't tap through the characters. Swiping is much quicker! :) Swiping your finger up on あ will enter う. Swiping right on か will enter け and so on.

You can start typing Japanese quite quickly once you remember which direction does which sound: swiping up does う sounds, right え, down お, left い.

• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by  Elenkis.
• This reply was modified 12 years, 9 months ago by  Elenkis.

MisterM – I’m like you, always explore all the options when I get some new software. And also haven’t been using this option to avoid learning romaji. In fact where i have a deck with the answers in kana, I usually sit down with anki on my phone, and a notebook, and physically write the answers down for each card.

Ryan – Android’s awesome. for one thing, you can choose your own keyboard app. I generally use “smart keyboard pro”, which can be set up to switch between english and japanese at the tap of a button – although unfortunately it works in the “tap か 5 times to get こ” way, and is a paid app (I think there is a free version with less features). However I do also have “OpenWnn plus”, which does work via the swipe method, and if I remember rightly is free.
Not to mention the hundreds of other keyboard apps out there – give them a try till you find something that suits :)